I plan to ski in chamonix for 5 days, then sight seeing in chamonix, annecy, and Geneva for 2 days. Any suggestion of must see?
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If you have a car, go to Martigny, to the Fondation Giannada -- a wonderful museum with a fab sculpture garden, terrific Gallo-Roman collection and always a wonderful exhibit of a 19-th-21st century artist. In the other direction, on the way back to Geneva, on the Route du Plateau d'Assy, near Passy is a fabulous, huge Alexander Calder sculpture. In the teensy village is a beautiful church with windows by Rouault, Matisse, Chagell (yes, I know, tiny place, hard to believe, but there it is). Annecy is a lovely walking town, if the weather's clear. And around Geneva, just go along the lac to Coppet, to see where Mme de Stael held her salon, always with Voltaire in attendance.
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Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
Martigny is a beautiful town but, honestly, I have driven the road from Chamonix to Martigny many times and would hesitate to drive it in winter. Icy conditions or snow would make the road a bit scary for my taste - too many hairpin turns! Especially coming down on the Martigny side through the vineyards. It's also in the opposite direction from Annency so you wouldn't be able to see both.
In Chamonix definitely take the gondola up to the Aguille du Midi (if it is open when you are there). The Mer du Glace is worth a visit before it completely melts away!
In the Geneva area, make sure to walk the old town. Beautiful antique shops of all kinds and the cathedral is worth a visit. Excavations underneath it go back to the 1st century and include old wells, Roman mosaic floors, and all manner of layers of history - fascinating! If you like science then you can make a reservation to tour CERN. Along the lakeshore, on the northern side, you can visit Lausanne with its beautiful cathedral. Vevey is a gorgeous town with a food museum that is surprisingly interesting! In Montreux you can visit Chateau Chillon - a very romantic, small castle that juts out onto the lake. The Lavaux Vineyards wrap around the whole north side of the lake and are gorgeous, even in winter. With just a few days this is enough to keep you busy!